Making Things Right
by Theodosius
Summary: A short story exploring and adding to Shepard and Liara's reunion on Illium. What if Shepard tried to break through Liara's facade as an information broker after she acted in such a cold manner?
1. Chapter 1

**Making Things Right**

Shepard slowly paced around the captain's cabin, deep in thought. Something was making him feel restless, anxious – emotions he hadn't felt as intensely as he did now; not since the day he was brought back to this world. The source of these emotions was buried deep inside of him and he hated the feeling of being so _helpless_. Nothing, not even Horizon, had unnerved him as much, and these thoughts threatened to consume him. These thoughts of Liara.

What had just happened hours ago on Illium? Who was this person? Shepard had been gone for two years and yet, nothing had changed to the extent Liara had. Thinking of their imminent reunion, his mind had conjured up an image of overwhelming happiness and joy. It didn't turn out to be that way. There was the initial kiss that the two of them shared, yes, but it had ended abruptly and he had been taken aback by Liara's threat earlier as he had entered her office. And after that – it was like talking to a stranger. An impostor.

Finally sitting down on the chair near his desk, Shepard gazed at the picture of Liara he had placed by his computer. A single picture of an encased memory that had been his driving force for as long as he could remember. Finally getting to see her, hold her and touch her again should have made his life complete. It should have filled that empty void in his heart that only Liara could fit in. The one part of Shepard that even Project Lazarus couldn't bring back. Instead… it had only left dread and disappointment in its wake.

He tried everything he could to make her talk to him like she used to. Anything to see the face in that picture again. But Liara was not there. In her place, there was a woman obsessed with the idea of revenge trying everything she could to keep as much distance from Shepard as she could.

It had been two years, she said. Things didn't work this way. But why _couldn't_ they? Had he been given the luxury of a thousand-year life-span, Shepard would have waited centuries if he had to. Maybe he wasn't as special to her as she was to him. And yet, he had been convinced that they had something incredible. Something worth fighting and dying for. And Liara felt the same way. What had changed?

Shepard sighed as he slouched on his chair, running a hand over his hair in frustration. He didn't ask himself why she had such an impact on his life – because he knew that it was she who changed it, reinvigorated it. She meant everything to him – of that he had always been aware, but he had never been more certain of it than during their first night together on Ilos. He could sit back and recall every moment of the union of their bodies and souls, feelings and thoughts, dreams and desires… It was a time of an out-of-this-world opportunity for him to explore and fall in love with every fibre of Liara's being – her very essence and soul. She was beautiful. From that point on, he had truly embraced eternity – and that eternity was her and her alone. The fact that he had gone through death and still remembered their joining perfectly as he held to the memory was his one real assurance that he was who he was before.

"Where are you, Liara?", Shepard whispered ruefully.

Despite knowing the mission he had to do and the stakes that came with it, Shepard found himself incapable of going further with things left as they were. The strength he hoped to find in his meeting with Liara never came. Instead he was filled with worry over the things he remembered before his death. Were they truly real? If they were, why did she act the way she did? Hadn't she felt the same? Had she given up on him?

_Stop_.

Shepard refused to be tormented by this any longer. One thing was for certain and only that was needed – his irrefutable faith in _her_. Whatever had happened over the course of these two years, his belief in Liara had never been in question, nor was his love for her. She had acted cold towards him, yes, but he couldn't imagine what she had gone through while he was gone. There had to be a reason for it. He would find a way to bring Liara back – he had to – for her sake and his. With one last look towards the picture frame on his desk, he whispered:

"I will find you, Liara."

* * *

The raindrops of the downpour made contact with the window of Liara's apartment on Illium as she stared through it, not really seeing the city of Nos Astra nor her own wistful reflection.

Instead, her mind was occupied with thoughts over what had happened a few hours ago when Liara finally got to see with her own eyes the one person in the galaxy that she couldn't live without come back into her life. Her feelings for him had never wavered, nor had her love for him, and seeing him in the flesh had made her stomach flutter and her heart skip a few beats – feelings she only had when she was around him. And then, just like that, she had brushed him off, and he was gone.

What had come over her? How could she have been so inconsiderate? In what way did Shepard deserve the treatment he got from her? It had been two years since she had been around him, touched him, kissed him, felt him – and the shock of seeing him going through that door must have caused a short-circuit in her mind to act the way she did. How else could she not notice the pain she was causing Shepard with every single word she uttered during their reunion? It was obvious that he had not expected to see or hear her like this. Neither had she.

A lot had happened since Shepard had died. Liara hadn't been herself for too long afterwards. Him being gone had left her so empty – so hollow. She wouldn't speak to anyone for days as she mourned and cried over the death of the one person in her life that gave her reason for it, made it complete. And that was only after she had gone past denying that Shepard was truly gone.

The sole purpose of giving his body to Cerberus after she had obtained it was her desperate belief in a miracle that he will be brought back somehow. And it had actually happened – Shepard was _alive_. He _was_ back. That gave her a chance to bring her life back into balance, try to recover so much of what she had lost. And for all she knew, she could have just thrown it all away during the course of minutes.

Liara couldn't help but burst into tears. Being without him had changed her, turned her into something else, and she _hated_ what she had become. She was supposed to be stronger than this. She knew that Shepard was the one person she had come to lean on, to trust and to love. Had she made a mistake letting him become such an integral part of her life? That her dependence on him could have been the reason she lost him _again_? She didn't know for certain as the tears from her eyes fell in a sorrowful unison with the downpour outside.

Liara was full of regrets – words she should have said and words she shouldn't have. And now, Shepard was once again doing what he always seemed to be doing – playing the part of the galaxy's saviour. She had offered her help in his search of the couple of questionable contacts he was after, but she hadn't provided the help she just knew Shepard needed the most. That thought wasn't willing to give her rest. She might have lost her only chance. Shepard could have gone already. If he hadn't, Liara doubted that he really wanted to see her again. Her words had left him looking so hurt. She would have to have been blind not to see that, but for reasons she couldn't fathom she hadn't done a thing about it.

"I'm so sorry, Shepard…"

She had to do something – she just had to, but what could she do? How would she let Shepard know that he is still as much in her heart as he had been before? She could simply tell him – but will he even believe her now?

Suddenly the bell to her apartment chimed. Liara brushed away the tears that were still falling from her eyes and looked at the door on the other side of the room with dread. Who could possibly be at the door during this night amid the rain? Had the Shadow Broker finally decided to deal with her?

Rushing towards one of the many Prothean artifacts she had around the room, Liara grabbed a pistol concealed behind one of them for self-defense. She wouldn't take any chances with visitors she didn't expect. Her biotics could potentially fight off whoever was after her, but having her pistol within arm's reach was still a comfort she felt was necessary. Cautiously walking towards the door, she looked towards the screen attached to the wall to the right to see who her visitor was. As soon as she did so, she felt her stomach clench. Was that really him?

She didn't let herself wonder about what she should do and acted on instinct as she opened the door to her apartment as quickly as she could, and once again, her heart missed a beat as she laid eyes on the person perpetually haunting her thoughts and inhabiting the depths of her soul.

"_Shepard!_"


	2. Chapter 2

As the door opened and Liara came into view, an all too familiar rush of emotions hit Shepard like a wind. The utter shock in Liara's eyes and voice was evident as she called his name.

"Liara", Shepard spoke, unsure as to what his next words would be as he came to the apartment unprepared, "May I come in?"

"How… how did you find me here?", Liara asked anxiously.

"For a silent information broker, you do leave quite a bit of trail behind", Shepard answered, giving her a weak smile as he coughed nervously, still expecting the answer to his question but not wanting to appear too forceful.

"I, uh… Listen, Shepard. About before…", the asari began stumbling over her words, rubbing her forehead awkwardly.

"Liara, I came here to make sure where we stand", Shepard said firmly, "I want us to talk like we did before – without either of us wearing a mask and pretending to be somebody we're not."

"I didn't pretend to be anybody, Shepard", Liara replied in an equally unwavering manner, "I told you what I'm doing and what I'm after and why I need to get the Shadow Broker for what he did."

"And I understand that", Shepard raised his hand to cut her off, "But you still made it look like you don't care about me anymore. You wouldn't talk to me at all. Do you even still feel the same about me?"

A sad look on her face, Liara seemed unsure while she avoided Shepard's gaze for a while as he watched her intently.

"I need to know what's going on with you, Liara, and I can't go on until I do", Shepard spoke after a moment of silence.

"Come on in", she finally said, turning around and walking towards the window on the other side of the room.

The door behind Shepard closed as he walked through it. He spared a moment to look over Liara's apartment. The first thing he noticed was a picture of Ilos which brought back lots of memories, both good and bad. There were several artifacts placed in displays around the room. Shepard guessed that they had to be Prothean in nature, given Liara's fascination with the species. He proceeded towards the window she was looking through, the rain outside still pouring down. He had gone through it in a haste when he discovered where she lived, so his hair was still a bit moist.

He couldn't quite read Liara's expression as her gaze stared somewhere into the city, her hand on her chin.

"Shepard, when you were gone…", Liara began, "When the Normandy was destroyed… I felt like I was in a dream that just wouldn't stop – a nightmare that I couldn't wake up from... A two-year long nightmare."

Tears started falling down Liara's face and she made no effort to stop them. Shepard never wanted to see her so sad and vulnerable. Failing in restraining himself from doing so, he tentatively wrapped his hand around her to comfort her, scared that she might brush him away. He was surprised when she buried her face in his shoulder as he held her instead.

"I'm so sorry that I hurt you", Liara whispered as she cried, "But for the first time in two years, I felt like I was finally waking up, and I just couldn't believe it… I just…"

"Don't worry", Shepard comforted her, leaning his head on hers, "Nightmare's over, Liara. For both of us."

"So much has changed… But I still feel the same, Shepard. I want you back in my life… I wish I had made that clear earlier, I'm sorry", Liara continued, her voice wavering ever so slightly.

"I want that too, Liara", Shepard assured her, "And I can help you, if you let me. The same way you helped me time and time again. I need you."

For a long time, neither of them spoke. The only sound in the room was caused by the contact between the raindrops and the window of the apartment.

Liara had taken comfort in Shepard's embrace and her tears had slowly stopped. Holding her again felt so _right_. It made him feel complete again. Liara's assurance that she still returned his feelings gave him no small degree of comfort, as well. _This_ was what he needed to go on – this was what he had longed for ever since he had woken up on the operating table back in the Cerberus station. Shepard was back, and so was Liara.

After a period of silence, Liara pulled her head back and looked into Shepard's eyes, their faces inches away from each other, feeling of bliss reflected from one eye to another. And then the asari wrapped her hand around Shepard's neck, closed her eyes and leaned in for a soft, tender kiss that he had yearned for ever since the last one had abruptly ended. It was everything Shepard had remembered it to be and more; the blissful sensation from the contact was overwhelming, his heart racing at the touch. Much to his regret, the need for air soon became too powerful to ignore and their lips soon parted.

"I need you too", Liara admitted, looking into his eyes earnestly and confidently. Any sorrow left from the fallen tears was now replaced with mirth.

Shepard leaned in for another, more passionate kiss, his hand stroking her back. Liara gently caressed his hair as their tongues left wondrous feelings in their wake, each battling for supremacy, yet locked in a perfect harmony.

"Goddess, I _need_ you", Liara breathed out, her hands fumbling around the clasps of Shepard's armor, trying to get them open. Shepard put both of his hands on her shoulders in response, momentarily stopping her clumsy efforts, and looked at Liara with concern.

"Liara, are you sure? It's been two years for you…", Shepard asked before he was cut off by another quick peck on his lips.

"All the more reason I want to do this, Shepard", she replied firmly, "I want us to be one again. I want our minds and our souls to be together once more… It's been too long. I want to make things right."

"I know… I feel the same", Shepard spoke before the two of them shared another passionate kiss, "Take me to heaven, Liara…"

The asari then proceeded to oblige to Shepard's request, running her hand through his hair as their kiss intensified. While Shepard continued to stroke her back, the need for contact that did not go through the material of his armor and the fabric of Liara's dress became especially urgent. Luckily, she had already begun working on the issue, her hands finding all the latches on his body armor, and with a little help from Shepard himself, soon his shoulder padding, gauntlets and chestpiece found themselves lying on the floor of Liara's apartment.

A few deftly placed kisses along the length of Liara's neck earned Shepard a passionate moan escaping her mouth, and then she retaliated by nibbling at his hear, bringing them back on equal footing. While all that was happening, her hands had already started working on his leg armor, Shepard painfully aware of their proximity to his arousal, wondering whether Liara even knew what she was doing to him with the mere power of her touch, and wondering how he managed to keep himself on his feet from the overwhelming sensations all this time. He could only hope that he performed half as well as she did in his attempts to make her feel the same.

Soon, the remainder of Shepard's armor joined the pile that had amassed around them, and Liara wrapped her legs around his waist as he reacted swiftly, moving his hands to accommodate her new position while having to defend himself from another attack on his lips.

"That way", Liara breathed out amid the kisses, nodding her head towards the stairs next to them that what Shepard hoped they led to was the bedroom. He didn't even get much of a chance to look that way as Liara's lips were once again on his.

It wasn't long before he started climbing up the steps while Liara had now diverted her attention to his neck as she bombarded it with passionate kisses, apparently not realizing that she could make Shepard fall down the steps as his legs threatened to wobble to a dangerous degree, but he couldn't bring himself to either warn or stop her. Thankfully, by the time he was once again overwhelmed with sensations, he had reached the top, barely managing to take notice of the bed in the dark close by.

Liara had to relinquish her hold on Shepard as she unattached her legs from his waist when they neared the bed, but made sure to keep contact as their tongues danced together in yet another lock of their lips. His heart was beating uncontrollably, threatening to fly away in the pure bliss he felt by simply being in Liara's presence again.

Shepard soon started working on the asari's purple dress, somehow managing to find the clasp to get it undone, and started sliding it down, revealing more of Liara's perfect skin that he still couldn't get a decent look at with his lover's lips on his own. A subtle flare of Liara's biotics illuminated the two of them, drawing Shepard's attention to the seemingly more purple color of her flesh. She got out of her dress, which had already fallen on the floor while her hands made short work of the buttons of his shirt, taking it off as they kissed.

With no obstructions in the way, Shepard could no longer refrain from keeping contact between Liara's skin and his, absorbed in the heavenly feelings of every touch, the love in his heart for her responding to each one with a special beat of its own just for them.

Liara slowly directed Shepard towards the bed, giving him no room to manoeuvre and soon he found himself on the smooth surface, the asari joining him, her hands on either side of him as she looked at him lovingly, her wonderful blue eyes locked on his while she glided her way across to him. Mesmerized by her beauty, he wrapped a hand around her and pulled her towards him for another passionate kiss.

"You're so beautiful", he whispered as soon as their lips parted, a shy smile on Liara's face in response that made him melt, and he added, "I can't believe you're really here…"

"I'd give anything for this to be real…", Liara breathed out, "But I know that I'm not dreaming anymore. It's you."

A soft, tender kiss shared between them said more than their words could. Liara's biotic energy still gave a weak surrounding light while she tugged on Shepard's pants, struggling to get them off until he gave a helping hand.

Once they were out of the way, Liara worked her way back to Shepard, their lips colliding once more while she caressed the length of his arm, their fingers intertwining in their own embrace when she reached his hand. Even with the contact they had, it was still not enough: Shepard's heart ached for the imminent joining of their two beings, to see Liara once again in the light that enveloped her like the sole angel in a galaxy full of sin, the one ray of brightness in a dark world. And as if reading his thoughts, Liara gazed into the depths of his eyes and uttered:

"_Embrace eternity!_"

And just like that, everything disappeared – everything but them. They both journeyed to a realm that Shepard hadn't been to for too long. It was like being enveloped by a cosmic layer of light. It was a world inhabited by Shepard and Liara alone – their minds, thoughts and souls – and it constantly changed to their will. Every feeling that either of them experienced echoed across to the other. Every kiss they shared opened up another part of their lives, each filled with emotions, some of which long forgotten. They revealed themselves to each other as who they were – their fears and desires, memories of the past and hopes for the future. It was a place where both of them felt safe, far, far away from the troubles of the world they lived in.

"_Join with me, Shepard…_"

Mirages of the present were the source of the physical sensations that Shepard still felt as he sensed Liara's skin on his hands as he explored it – swimming through an ocean full of life – a life embodied in everything that was Liara with Shepard controlling the waves that went across; the waves that truly gave it _life_. A single, passionate kiss sent them into a typhoon that brought them together, joined them, made them _one_.

"_I need you, Shepard…_"

"_I need you too, Liara…_"

Slowly, out of fear not to cause any unintentional harm to the one he loved, Shepard moved in as he gently pushed inside between Liara's legs while her hips moved against his, the urge for contact now too powerful to ignore. His name echoed across the ocean – or the room – or maybe both – and he responded with her own name escaping his lips in the explosion of pleasure that both of them felt. Liara's soul was bare as it stood in front of his mind's eye; a cleansing purity that he found himself engulfed in. Here, he could see glimpses of every memory of him and her, of the love between a man and a woman that made the core of its very essence. There were darker memories scattered around – ones of sorrow, regret, anger and guilt – new parts of Liara he didn't remember being there before. But together as they moved in harmony, their bodies somewhere out there locked in a full embrace, their lips joined together, they managed to erase these spots, leaving only love in their place, strengthening one another. Shepard could make out his own memories that Liara seemed to have taken him to, pleasant reminders of the things he loved and cherished in his life – her standing above all of them. His own grief and worry was mirrored there, as well, only for it too to be lost somewhere in the nothingness.

"_You're beautiful…_"

"_I love you, Shepard…_"

Shepard was overwhelmed with pleasure from the synchronous movement of their bodies, the way they just fit and completed one another, and overwhelmed with love that he could just _feel_ Liara had for him as their spirits intertwined in one, their feelings for one another being the glue that brought them together, love that was reflected from within himself.

"_Liara, I love you so much…_"

He could feel Liara's joy somewhere in their shared consciousness as he uttered the words, though it was difficult to notice amid the bliss that surrounded their one identity. Shepard's name had escaped her mouth once again as she reached her climax, the sensations of their physical joining still echoed as if from a distance that was slowly returning. Taking a hold of her by placing both of his hands on either side of her, he gently relinquished himself from her while maintaining the grip on her arms, and proceeded to embrace her as she buried her head in his chest, her hands seeking comfort in his, and slowly the entirety of his senses was brought back to her apartment. Their mental connection and bond, however, always survived past the joining – it lingered on and a part of it had stayed even after his death, and now that they found each other again, it was strengthened to a degree that a part of either one had been left in the other.

"Liara… That was…", Shepard barely managed to say, still breathless, "There are no words."

"I don't think any are needed", Liara looked up, and only now did Shepard see that tears were running down her eyes, though these were nothing like the ones she shed before – these were tears of joy and love, and the mirth in her eyes could only confirm that was so. His thumb moved across her face to catch them as they fell. She ran her hand down his cheek in affection as she said, "Thank you for this, Shepard. I… I needed this. I was lost without you."

"So was I", Shepard replied, giving Liara a quick, soft kiss, "And if anything, I should be the one thanking you. You made this possible."

"No, Shepard. _We_ did", Liara corrected, snuggling even closer to Shepard while she pulled the blanket of her bed over their bare bodies with her free hand, "Could you stay here for the night? Please?"

"Of course, Liara. For as long as you want me to", Shepard assured her and meant it.

"Thank you", she beamed at him, "I love you."

"I love you too", he returned the smile as he stroked her back affectionately, their lips meeting together one last time.

There were still things they would need to sort out, he'd need to figure out a way to help Liara in her hunt if she still wanted to pursue the Shadow Broker, and he still had his own mission to worry about, but right now, there wasn't a place he'd rather be. It was moments like these that he fought for – and he wanted to savour them for as long as he could. Besides, his team back on the Normandy knew of his past with Liara and he had informed them that he was going to find her, so Shepard figured they'd get the picture if he didn't come back to the ship right away.

All that mattered to him was sleeping by his side. The troubles of tomorrow did not matter. As of the present moment, Shepard couldn't think of a more perfect way to make things right.

**The End**


End file.
